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Jolie laughed. “Don’t you dare say that around Fred.”
“Fred?”
“Fred Walters. The old fellow who owns this place. He dearly loves Dolly, and I think she dotes on him, too. When he came out to visit, she hummed at him the whole time. Even let him pet her face, and she’s otherwise pretty shy about being touched there.”
Matt had been focused on the kids, the llama, the sunset, but now he turned toward her, and his hand stilled at her nape.
For one dizzying moment she saw his eyes darken. Imagined him drawing closer for a kiss...
“Dad!” Annie called out from the top railing of the fence near the barn. Her arms were folded over her stomach. “Can we go home?”
“In a while.” Matt shifted into the opposite corner of the wide swing. “It’s a nice change, spending an evening with another adult.”
Remember that, Maxwell. You’re just a diversion from the nightly hassle of homework and chores.
Charlie and Dolly disappeared into the barn, trailed by the old ewe.
Matt frowned. “Maybe I should go check on what he’s doing. For all I know—”
A squeal of delight erupted from the barn. Dolly burst out of the barn in a disjointed gallop with Charlie on her back, his arms wrapped around her neck.
The llama gave a loud screech.
Took a sharp left.
Charlie flew over her neck and landing with a thud. He groaned, rolled over.
Annie screamed.
“Charlie!” Matt roared, launching off the porch swing.
Jolie stared in disbelief as Dolly stopped and turned back, her nose and tail raised and ears flattened in the classic llama stance of anger. Her jaws worked furiously as she prepared to launch a volley of partially digested feed at her attacker.
Dolly had apparently rethought the matter by the time Matt arrived. With a snort of disgust, she sauntered out into the meadow, her tail still twitching with irritation.
Matt dropped to his knees next to Charlie. “Are you okay?”
Charlie rolled into a tighter ball.
“Talk to me. Are you hurt?” Matt ran a hand over Charlie’s arms and legs. “Say something!”
Charlie’s shoulders quivered, then shook as he slowly sat up. But his eyes weren’t filled with tears, as Jolie expected. They sparkled with delight.
He burst into laughter. “Wasn’t that just the coolest thing? She’s sofast!”
Matt rocked back on his heels, his face pale.“Charlie.”
“The coolest! Can we get a llama? Or a horse? Wouldn’t that be super? I could ride all the time and—”
“Quiet!”Matt reached forward and grasped Charlie by his upper arms. White lines of tension bracketed his mouth and eyes. “You owe Dr. Maxwell a big apology for endangering Dolly.I don’t know, but I’d guess a boy your size shouldn’t be on a llama. And you could have broken your neck, falling against a rock or tree stump.” His voice caught. “You scared me todeath,Charlie.”
He stared at his son, then folded him into a tight embrace. After a long moment, he set Charlie aside and rose to his feet. “So now you are grounded,” he said with a finality that brooked no argument. “Possibly forever.”
The boy’s chin dropped to his chest. “I’m sorry, Jolie. I didn’t know Dolly didn’t want to be ridden, honest.”
Taking in Charlie’s misery, Jolie had to stop herself from telling him that it was all okay. He needed to learn his lesson, or the next time he acted impulsively hecouldget hurt. “Apology accepted.”
Annie hovered at the edge of the conversation. “Dad, I don’t feel so good. I want to go home.Now.”
